The Falcons made a couple of veteran practice squad signings on Wednesday. Defensive end Drake Jackson and running back Khalil Herbert are now in the fold.
It appeared Jackson’s season was over when the Commanders placed him on injured reserve on Aug. 25. The Commanders later released Jackson with an injury settlement, though, and that cleared the way for him to sign elsewhere and play in 2026.
The 49ers selected Jackson with the 61st overall pick in the 2022 draft, but injuries have prevented him from justifying his second-round slot. He tore his patellar tendon late in his rookie year and then played just 11 of a possible 51 regular-season games from 2023-25.
After Jackson missed the entire 2024 campaign, the 49ers waived him during the next offseason. Multiple teams showed interest in a still-recovering Jackson last fall. He chose the Commanders in October but did not make his debut until late December. Over three games and 61 defensive snaps, the 6-foot-4, 274-pounder contributed just three tackles. In 26 career games, Jackson has recorded 24 tackles, nine quarterback hits and six sacks.
Herbert, also a former 49er, lasted a week and a half with the organization this summer. The 49ers signed Herbert on Aug. 20 and then released him when they finalized their initial 53-man roster on Aug. 30. The 5-9, 212-pounder is better known for a career-opening run in Chicago, where he rushed for between 433 and 731 yards every year from 2021-23. Ian Cunningham, now the Falcons’ general manager, was in the Bears’ front office for some of Herbert’s stint with the club.
While Herbert notched 100-plus carries in each of his first three seasons, he only combined for 52 attempts with the Bears, Bengals and Jets from 2024-25. He is also unlikely to factor in much with the Falcons, who have an all-world starter in Bijan Robinson and a capable No. 2 in Brian Robinson. The Falcons needed a third back after the Cowboys signed Tyler Goodson off their practice squad on Tuesday.
In other transactions, the Falcons placed defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand on IR and signed tight end Nick Muse to their 53-man roster. Hand will miss the rest of the season after suffering a quad injury in a Week 1 loss to the Steelers.